My invention generally relates to a cover for vents which protrude from the exterior surface of building roofs. In particular this invention relates to a cover for a gas pluming vent which is custom shaped either on or off-site to conform to the slope and pitch of a particular roof. My pluming vent cover can be a three component device, with a lowermost base, a middle component which covers the pipe comprising the pluming vent, and a third component which forms an elevated cap. However, my preferred pluming vent cover comprises a cone-like base and an upper pyramidal cap.
My pluming vent cover is preferably made by (i) initially severing and folding a stiff steel or copper sheet to form a modified cone; and (ii) cutting and folding the cap. Preferably my pluming vent cover also comprises one longitudinal hem along the cone shaped base. The two edges forming the hem folds back upon themselves and remain in the folded position, because of the stiffness of the metal sheet. Two intersecting straps attach to the top of the cone-shaped base with pop rivets; pop rivets also fasten the small cap to the straps' respective central mid-lines.
As discussed infra, the prior art does not disclose a rigid pluming vent cover which does all of the following simultaneously:    (i) prevents rains and elements from entering the roof through the pluming vent,    (ii) provides a more attractive appearance than a conventional vent pluming pipe, or    (iii) is easily custom fit on site along its lower edge to conform to the pitch and slope of a particular roof, as well as to the number or thickness of roof tiles.
For example, U.S. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0054754 (McKee) discloses a passive venting device which comprises a base member and an attachment portion. There is also a vent structure for gas and other vapors to pass, as well as a cover mounted to the base, to permit gas and vapor to the outside. There is a baffle which obstructs precipitation from the roof exterior, as well as a ventilation pathway spaced from the roof. This path allows installation of thick shingles or tiles on a roof, which abut the device without interfering with ventilation. However, the baffle is not necessarily aesthetically pleasing, and the bottom edge is not custom-shaped to fit the roof's slope and pitch quickly on or off-site.
U.S. Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0104779A1(Marts et al.) discloses a security cover for a ventilation duct. This apparatus prevents solid, liquid or gaseous material from entering the vent. Several baffles form a convoluted path for materials entering or leaving the vent. However, this security cover does not necessarily cover all heights of plume vent pipes and cannot be shaped to fit a specific slope and pitch of a particular roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,700 (Blair) discloses a roof jack which has a planar roof covering with a central upstanding frusto-conical section. This conical section includes stepped graduated portions, with the region between each graduated portion flexing to accommodate differences in roof pitch. The entire device is made of polypropylene-synthetic rubber polymer and is produced by a single vacuum formed operation. However, there is no provision for a stiff rigid cover which is custom fit on or off-site along a bottom edge to fit a specific roof slope and pitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,924 (Mantyla et al.) discloses a passive venting device for a building which comprises a base with a vent for gases to and from the building. There is also an attachment coupled to the vent and a gas permeable screen to prevent objects from passing through the vent. The gas permeable screen is spaced from the attachment structure vertically away from the roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,052 B1 (Larson) discloses a soffit vent comprising a base with opposing elongated edges and a pair of parallel flanges extending upwardly. There is a vent zone in the base and attachment flanges formed by portions of the base. U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,392 (Henderson) discloses a one-sided roof vent with two ends. One end has a base cross section while the second end has a thickness of at least twice that of the base cross section. An optional pivot point permits the device to conform to the structure, along with a baffle or cover filer to prevent entry by environmental particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,704 B1 (Wilson) discloses an air vent apparatus for lighting devices. A staked chevron is symmetrically located within the air vent housing of the device. Numerous variations in the length of chevron vanes, vane angle and the pitch function are for a optimal vent for articles such as movie projects, arc lamps, and laser devices. However, this device is not a functional vent cover which is quickly custom-shaped on or off-site to fit the slope or pitch of a specific roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,712 B1 (Lyons et al.) discloses a vent cover assembly with a vent cap covering the vent apertures and an assembly extending around the vent cap and vent. In one embodiment the protective structural features allows air flow into and from the vent cap. In another embodiment, there is an attachment base with semi-cylindrical parts which connect to the attachment base. The base is made of sheet metal or other flame-retardant materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,585 (Evora) discloses a sleeve protector for venting pipes. It contains a tube attached at one end to a flat portion at the angle which follows the roof slope. There is also a protector cap mounted on the other end of the tube with annular spaced clamps which attach to ribs on the outside tube wall. The sleeve protector is installed by placing the hollow cylinder portion over the pipe. The attached flat portion protects against leaks in areas where the roof and pipe meet. Then the cap member inserts inside the pipe as completely as possible. Clamps interlock with the ribs, thereby protecting the pipe against accidental or intentional tampering.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,273 B1 (Villela) discloses a tile vent which covers the opening of an undulating roof ridge. The tile vent includes vent slots for air exhaust, as well as reinforcing stiffeners to support ridge tiles places over the ridge opening. The tile vent includes two integral panels which oppose each other, with the top portion of each panel attached to a ridge board and the bottom portion attached to the actual roof. U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,343 (Castillo et al.) discloses a similar tile roof vent which covers the ridge opening of an undulating tile roof. The vent in this invention includes two opposing panels, and each panel comprises a hard plastic sheet, each with an upper portion and a lower portion. The underside of the lower portions each attach to an air permeable mat. The lower portions are also reinforced by stiffeners and contain vent holes for exhausting air.
Design patents for roof vent covers disclose what appear to be non-functional embossed or raised designs on what appear to be either the pluming vent cover or the pluming vent pipe. For example, Des. 428,130 (Zirk) discloses a copper roof vent cover with what appears to be a cap which rests directly upon either the actual vent pipe. Des. 428,484 (Zirk) also discloses a copper roof vent cover which has a circular ornamental design as an integral part of the roof cover. Des. 259,208 (McCullough) discloses an ornamental design for a roof vent, but the design is apparently an integral decorative feature of the actual vent and not a separate roof vent cover per se. These features add no specific function to the vent covers, unlike my pending invention.
In addition to the preferred embodiment, in other embodiments my pluming vent cover conceals other kinds of roof vents on commercial as well as residential structures. In still other embodiments my pluming vent cover conceals sewer pipes and other protruding pipes and vents of diverse structures.